Nickname:
Wanting his hockey team to take on a regal air, founder Jack Kent Cooke named
his team the Kings.

Coach:
Darryl Sutter 2011/12-

Arena:
Staples Center 1999/00-

Historical Moments:

1967/68: Things had all come together at once for Jack Kent Cooke the eccentric owner of the
NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, with a spectacular arena in the Great Western Forum
about to open and the NHL about to expand. Cooke who was Canadian Born and missed
hockey had long dreamed to bring hockey to Hollywood and with expansion he
had that opportunity, as the Kings are one of six expansion teams to join the
NHL. Placed with the other five new teams the Kings wearing colorful purple and
gold uniforms would finish second in the Western Conference with a record of 31-32-11.
However in the playoffs the Kings would be beaten in seven games by the
Minnesota North Stars.
1968/69: In their second season the Kings would struggle all season posting a record of 24-42-10.
However, in the all-expansion Western Division it would be good enough
for fourth place to earn a playoff berth. In a battle of California the Kings would
beat the Oakland Seals in a hard fought seven games series. However, in the
Western Finals the Kings would crash to reality as they are swept in four straight
games by the St. Louis Blues.
1969/70: The Kings would play miserable hockey all season as they finished dead last with
a horrible record of 14-52-10.
1970/71: The Kings struggles continued as they miss the playoffs for the second straight season,
while finishing in fifth place with a 25-40-13 record.1971/72: The Kings struggles continued as they finish in last place for the second time in
three years with an awful record of 20-49-9.
1972/73: The Kings show some light improvement while missing the playoffs again, finishing
in sixth place with a record of 31-36-11.1973/74: The Kings end a four year absence from the playoffs by finishing in third place with
a record of 33-33-12. However, the Kings would make a quick exit in the playoffs
as they are beaten by the Chicago Black Hawks in five games.
1974/75: With realignment the Kings are placed in the Norris Division in the Prince of Wales
Commence. Despite playing in a division with the Montreal Canadiens the Kings
put together a stung season posting the third best record overall while finishing
in second place with a 42-17-21 record. However, in the playoffs the Kings
would get a cold dose of reality as they are beaten by the Toronto Maple Leafs
in a three game series.
1975/76: The Kings who have brought several star players like Bob Pulford and Terry Sawchuk
past their prime acquire Marcel Dionne in a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
Dionne who is just coming into his prime gives LA its first true hockey superstar.
With Dionne leading the way the Kings finish in second place with a 38-33-9
record. In the playoffs Rogie Vachon would allow just one goal as the Kings extinguished
the Atlanta Flames in two straight games. However, in the second round
the Kings would fall in a hard fought seven game series to the Boston Bruins.
1976/77: Marcel Dionne scores 53 goals as the Kings finish in second place with a 34-31-15
record. In the Playoffs the Kings would beat the Atlanta Flames in a three game
series, before falling to the Boston Bruins in the second round again this time
losing in six games.1977/78: Despite slipping below .500 with a record of 31-34-15 the Kings finish in third place,
and make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. However, it would be
a quick exit as the Kings are buried by the Toronto Maple Leafs losing two straight
games, by a combined score of 11-3.
1978/79: Marcel Dionne is joined by Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer, who form the Triple Crown
line. The addition of the linemates helps Dionne put together a solid season
scoring 59 goals. However, the Kings would only mage to finish in third place
with a record of 34-34-12 as they allowed 286 goals n the season. In the playoffs
the Kings goaltending problems would catch up with them as they are flattened
by the New York Rangers in two straight games, allowing nine goals. The Kings
are a part of history as they are sold by Jack Kent Cooke along with the Lakers
and the Forum to Jerry Buss for a then record $67 Million, the largest business
transaction in sports history at that time. Buss would sell the Kings himself
a short time later.
1979/80: Marcel Dionne captures the scoring title with 53 goals and 84 assists. However, the
Kings would struggle to post a 30-36-14 record while allowing 313 goals. Despite
their mediocre record the Kings would finish in second place and make the
playoffs. However, it would be another quick exit as they are beaten by the New
York Islanders in four games.
1980/81: Marcel Dionne continues to be one of the premier scores in the NHL posting his fourth
50-goal season in five years as the Kings finished in second Place with a
solid 43-24-13 record. However in the playoffs the Kings would make another first
round exit as they allowed 23 goals in a four games as they lost to the New
York Rangers three games to one.
1981/82: The NHL moves to a more geographical division setup as the Kings are moved into the
Smythe Division. Marcel Dionne would score 50 goals, but the Kings would struggle
miserably posting a 24-41-15 record while allowing a league high 369 goals.
However, under the new playoff format the Kings who finished in 4th place would
make the playoffs. The playoffs would get off to a wild start as the Kings
beat the Edmonton Oilers 10-8 in a Game 1 shoot out in Edmonton. After the Oilers
won Game 2 the Kings appeared to be heading for defeat down 5-0 in the 3rd period
at the Forum. However, the Kings would chip away at the lead tying the game
with five seconds left on Steve Bozek's goal with goalie pulled. In overtime
the Forum would erupt when rookie Daryl Evans scored at 2:36 into overtime. After
dropping Game 4 at home the Kings would again stun the Oilers 7-4 in the decisive
5th game in Edmonton. However in he Smythe Division Finals, the Kings would
be knocked off by the Vancouver Canucks in five games never recovering from
losing back-to-back games in overtime to fall behind 3-0 in the series.
1982/83: The Kings goaltending trouble catch up with them as they miss the playoffs for the
first time in ten years while finishing in last place with a record of 27-41-12.
Along the way Marcel Dionne would post another 50-goal season surpassing the
500-goal milestone in the process.1983/84: Losing Marcel Dionne for part of the season to injury the Kings struggles continue
as they finish in last place with an awful 23-44-13 record.1984/85: Marcel Dionne nets his 600th career goal as the Kings make the playoffs after a two
year absence posting a record of 34-32-14 while finishing in fourth place. However,
in the playoffs the Kings would be swept in three straight games by the
eventual Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers losing two games in overtime.
1985/86: The Kings miss the playoffs for the third time in four years while finishing in last
place with a record of 23-49-8.1986/87: Marcel Dionne plays his last game in a Kings uniform as he is traded near the end
of the season to the New York Rangers. However, Kings fans would quickly find
another hero to cheer for as Luc Robataille scored 45 goals while capturing the
Calder Trophy. With a young team the Kings made into the playoffs with a 31-41-8
record, finishing in fourth place. However, it would be another quick exit as
the Kings are beaten by the Edmonton Oilers in five games.
1987/88: Despite a 30-42-8 record the Kings make the playoffs by finishing in fourth place.
In the playoffs the Kings would make a quick exit as they are toasted by the
Calgary Flames in five games. However, the big news would come a few months after
the season when Owner Bruce McNall would off the hockey deal of the century,
acquiring Wayne Gretzky in a multiplayer deal from the Edmonton Oilers.1988/89: After two decades of toiling in relative anonymity the city of Los Angeles finally
had to take notice at the Kings, who had the greatest player in NHL history,
Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky would make an immediate impact winning the Hart Trophy while
leading the Kings wit a 42-31-7 record good enough for second place. In the
playoffs Gretzky who had won the All-Star Game MVP in his return to Edmonton
came back to haunt his former team again as the Kings overcame a 3-1 series deficit
to beat the Oilers in seven games. However, in the Smythe Division Finals
the Kings past goaltending problems would rise again as they are swept by the Calgary
Flames allowing 22 goals in four games.
1989/90: Wayne Gretzky would get the season started off right as he made history in Edmonton
again passing his boyhood idol Gordie Howe with his 1,851st point on October
15th. Gretzky would go on to lead the NHL in scoring with 40 goals and 102 assists.
However the Kings would have to settle for fourth place with a record of
34-39-7, while allowing 337 goals. However, in the playoffs the Kings would explode
scoring 12 goals in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead over the Calgary Flames.
After dropping Game 5 in Calgary the Kings would advance to the Smythe Finals
with an overtime win at the Forum. However, for the second straight year the
Kings would be let down by their goaltending as they allow 24 goals while being
swept by the Edmonton Oilers in four straight games.
1990/91: The Kings win their first ever division title posting a solid record of 46-24-10
as Wayne Gretzky captures another scoring title with 122 assists. In the playoffs
the Kings would beat the Vancouver Canucks in six games setting up a Smythe
Final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers. However, once again the Kings would fall
losing in six games in a series that saw 4 games go to overtime.
1991/92: The Kings are unable to repeat as Division Champions posting a 35-31-14 record while
finishing in second place. In the playoffs the Kings would be knocked off by
the Edmonton Oilers again this time falling in the first round in six games.
1992/93: Despite missing Wayne Gretzky for the first half of the season due to a back injury
the Kings are able to make in into the playoffs by finishing in third place
with a record of 39-35-10. Wayne Gretzky began to get healthy as the playoffs began
and by only playing 48 games he was fresh. In the first round the Kings would
extinguish the Calgary Flames in six games scoring 33 goals including nine
in each of the final two games. In the Smythe Finals the Kings stayed red hot as
they beat the Vancouver Canucks in 6 games, scoring 26 goals. Facing the Toronto
Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference Finals the Kings finally slowed down
as they fell behind three games to two. Facing elimination in Game 6 Wayne Gretzky
sent the series to a decisive seventh game with a power play goal in overtime.
In Game 7 in Toronto, Gretzky carried the Kings on to the Finals with a hat
trick as the Kings beat the Leafs 5-4. In their first finals appearance the Kings
appeared to be heading for hockey immortality on the Stanley Cup as they won
Game 1 in Montreal and led the Canadiens 2-1 late in the 3rd period of Game
2. However, the Habs facing a 0-2-deficit gambled that Marty McSorley's blade had
too much curve and challenged his stick. McSorley's blade was in fact too curved
and the Habs would tie the game on the ensuing power play and tie the series
in Overtime. As the series shifted to LA the Habs would continue their overtime
magic winning Game 3 and Game 4 in Overtime before knocking off the disheartened
Kings 4-1 in Game 5. 1993/94: After their heartbreaking loss in the Stanley Cup Finals the Kings struggled alls
season, missing the playoffs while finishing in fifth place with a disappointing
record of 27-45-12. Making matters worse their record was even worse then the
expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. However, the season was not without a great
moment form The Great One as Wayne Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's career goals scored
record on March 23rd in front of a full house at the Forum. 1994/95: Owner Bruce McNall who was once the toast of Los Angeles is forced to sell the team
as his once great financial empire was now in ruin, as he even faced fraud charges,
for which he would later serve four years in Federal Prison. In a season
shortened by a lockout the Kings would fall one point short of the playoffs as
they finished in fourth place with a record of 16-23-9.
1995/96: While the Kings were in the midst of their third straight season without making the
playoffs with a 24-40-18 record, the Wayne Gretzky era in Los Angeles comes
to an end as he is traded late in the season to the St. Louis Blues. In his eight
years in LA, Gretzky had opened the NHL to new markets in the Southern United
States, while leading to an new era of expansion. When Gretzky was traded to
the Kings there were 21 teams in the NHL, only one of which was in the Sunbelt.
When Gretzky was traded to St. Louis there were 26 teams, five of which were in
the Sunbelt. Over the next five years that number would grow to 30 NHL teams
in which nine of which were in the Southern US.
1996/97: Without Wayne Gretzky the Kings would continue to struggle as they finished in sixth
place with a miserable record of 28-43-11 record.1997/98: The Kings welcomed back Luc Robataile as they returned to the playoffs with a second
place record of 38-33-11, led by a stellar season from Rob Blake who won the
Norris Trophy. However, in the playoffs it would be a quick exit as the Kings
are swept in four straight games by the St. Louis Blues.1998/99: In the final season of hockey at the Great Western Forum the Kings end up finishing
in last place with a disappointing record of 32-45-5, missing the playoffs for
the fifth time in six years.1999/00: The Kings entered a new Millennium with a new state of the art arena in the Staples
Center. In their first year at the shimmering new arena the Kings would finish
in second place with a solid 39-31-12-4 record. However, it would be another
quick exit as they are swept by the Detroit Red Wings in four straight games.
2000/01: Faced with losing Rob Blake to free agency the Kings trade their star defenseman
to the Colorado Avalanche for Adam Deadmarsh. Deadmarsh would actually provide
a spark for the Kings as they made the playoffs by finishing in third place with
a record of 38-28-12-3. In the playoffs the Kings appeared to be heading for
another quick exit as they dropped their first two games to the Detroit Red Wings.
However, the Kings would rally to win the next four games to win their first
playoff series in eight years. Facing the Avalanche in the second Round the Kings
would give Rob Blake's new team all they could handle rallying from a 3-1
deficit to force a seventh game, before the Avalanche rallied to win the final
two games and eliminate the Kings. Blake and the Avalanche would go on to win the
Stanley Cup.
2001/02: Just as training camp is starting the Kings are affected personally by the horrors
of September 11th when Director of Scouting Garnett "Ace" Bailey and Scout Mark
Bavis are among those killed when United Flight 175 which they were taking from
Boston to Los Angeles is hijacked and ran into the World Trade Center. Playing
the season in tribute to their two 9/11 victims the Kings post a solid 40-27-11-4
record, but can only secure the 7th seed and are forced to face the Colorado
Avalanche in the first round. The Kings appeared to be overmatched as they
fell behind three games to one. However, goalie Felix Potvin would keep the Kings
alive with a 1-0 overtime win in Game 5. Potivn would continue to frustrate
the Avalanche in Game 6 as the Kings forced a seventh game with a 3-1 win at the
Staples Center. However, in Game 7 the Kings would be the ones who were frustrated
as they were blanked 4-0 in Colorado.

2002/03: After three straight playoff appearances the Kings are ravaged by injuries as several
key players miss significant time due to injury as top Center Jason Allison
appeared in just 26 games, while Winger Adam Deadmarsh was limited to just 20.
In total 536 man games were lost to injury a franchise high as the Kings struggled
to finish in third place with a disappointing record of 33-37-6-6, leaving
the Kings out of the playoffs.2003/04: Injuries were problematic from the start of the season as Jason Allison and Adam
Deadmarsh were unable to return from the lingering effects of concussions. Despite
the loss of manpower the Kings managed to hang tough through the first half
of the season as they held a 21-14-11-5 record at the All-Star Break. However,
as the season wore on the injuries continued to mount as Goalie Roman Cechmanek
missed two long stretches due to a groin injury, while Zigmund Palffy was lost
for the entire second half after shoulder surgery. The mounting injuries would
eventually be too much to overcome for the Kings who missed the playoffs for
a second straight season with a mediocre 28-29-16-9 record. One bright spot for
the Kings was the return of Luc Robitaille who in his third tenure with the Kings
led the team in scoring with 51 points.
2004/05: Season Cancelled Due to Lock Out2005/06: Coming out of the lock out the Kings looked to be one of the more improved teams
in the league as they were able to acquire players like Valeri Bure, Jeremy Roenick,
Pavol Demitra, and Goalie Mathieu Garon, as they got off to a solid 15-6-1
start. The Kings continued to play good into the start of the New Year winning
their first two games in January to sit at 27-14-2. However, it would all go
downhill quickly from there as injuries and struggles to the new players the Kings
were counting on overwhelmed them as they won just four of their next 18 games
heading into the Olympic Break. After the Olympics in Torinio the Kings continued
to struggle as they acquired Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel from the New York
Islanders at the trade deadline. When that did not work the Kings would change
coaches replacing Andy Murray John Torchetti. However, all the Kings scorers
could not get back on their early season roll, as they missed the playoffs for
a third straight season with a record of 42-35-5, while Luc Robitaille ended
his brilliant 20-year career with 15 more goals ending his career with 668 goals
most of which came with the Kings in three separate tenures in LA.2006/07: With the hopes of getting back into the playoffs the Kings hired Marc Crawford, a
coach with a Stanley Cup resume. However, when the season started it was clear
the Kings, had a long way to go to build a team good enough for Crawford
to lead, as they got off to a terrible, winning just five of their first 19 games.
One move that did not work out was the acquisition of Goalie Dan Cloutier
as won just six games with a 3.98 GAA. Goaltending would be a problem all season
for the Kings, as injuries and poor play led to five different goalies seeing
time in the net, and they ranged from the unproven Yutaka Fukufuji who became
the first Japanese born player to play in the NHL to the washed up veteran Sean
Burke who was in his 20th season in the NHL. None of them worked out as the Kings
were never a factor in the playoff chase as they landed in fourth place in
the loaded Pacific Division with a disappointing record of 27-41-14.2007/08: England was not stranger to Kings, but for the Los Angeles Kings it was a whole new
world as they began the season facing the defending Stanley Cup Champions Anaheim
Ducks in first regular season games played in Europe. The Kings would take
the opener at O2 Arena with Goalie Jonathan Bernier having a successful debut,
making 26 saves in a 4-1 win. The Ducks would recover to win the second game.
When the Kings returned to Los Angeles Bernier struggled and was returned to his
team Junior Hockey team in the QMJHL, as the Kings lost their first four games
in North America. The Kings would to win four in a row, as they closed October
with a 6-7-0 record. After a mediocre November the Kings stumbled in December,
suffering an eight game losing streak as they entered the New Year in last place
with a record of 14-24-2. The struggles continued into January as the Kings
continued to play sub .500 hockey. The Kings would go on to finish with the second
worst record overall in the NHL as they posted a 32-43-7 record. Following
the season the Kings would fire Coach Marc Crawford, and replace him with Terry
Murray.
2008/09: With an eye on the future the Kings named 23-year-old Dustin Brown as their new captain,
as they entered the season with a Terry Murray behind the bench. While
the season saw the Kings miss the playoffs again with a 34-37-11 record, the young
Kings made some strides, as remained in the playoff hunt for most of the season,
while playing in 43 games decided by one goal. Leading to the improvement
were key contributions by several young players including Drew Doughty, the second
overall pick in the 2008 draft, who led the team in ice time and blocked shots,
while being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. Also emerging for the Kings
was Jonathan Quick who took over as starting goalie and posted a 21-18-2 record
after starting the season in the AHL with Manchester.2009/10: With Jonathan Quick firmly established as the starting goalie, the Kings looked to
make a big step forward as the season began as they acquired veteran Winger Ryan
Smyth in the off-season from the Colorado Avalanche to help boost the offense.
The Kings showed some good signs early in the season as they posted a 17-10-3
record in their first 30 games. Despite a December slump the Kings were still
skating strong as the New Year began. As January turned into February the Kings
made a move to secure a playoff spot as they went on a nine game winning streak,
which included tough road wins against the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils
and Boston Bruins. With five players in the Olympics, the Kings held a 37-20-4
record at the break. When play resumed in March the Kings went through a
slump as they posted a mediocre 6-7-2 record. However, with a 46-27-9 record the
Kings would top 100 points and end their eight year playoff drought. In the playoffs
they faced the Vancouver Canucks and lost a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker in
the opener. In Game 2 the Kings would win 3-2 in overtime on a power play goal
by Anze Kopitar. As the series shifted to L.A. the Kings took control of the
series with a 5-3 win, as Drew Doughty led the way with a goal and three assists.
However, the Canucks would take over the rest of the series winning the next
three games to take the series in six games.

2010/11: After ending an eight year playoff drought, the Kings looked to take the next step
and become a factor in the race for the Stanley Cup. The Kings would start the
season against the Vancouver Canucks who eliminated them in the playoffs, beating
them 2-1 in a shootout on the road. After a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames,
the Kings would win their home opener 3-1 over the Atlanta Thrashers. The Kings
would get off to a strong start, winning 12 of their first 15 games. However,
they would lose seven of their next eight games to end November, with a record
of 13-10-0. With a strong record at home, the Kings would rebound to win nine
games in December, as they acquired Marco Sturm from the Boston Bruins. However,
as the New Year began the Kings would go into another slump, losing 10 of 12
games. Needing a strong finish to get back into the playoffs, the Kings landed
Dustin Penner in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers for Colten Teubert and two draft
picks. Even as the Kings made the deal they were on the rise again, posting
a solid 8-2-3 record in February. The Kings would play just as strong in March,
posting a 9-3-2 record, as they went on to make the playoffs for a second straight
season with a record of 46-30-6. With the seventh seed the Kings would face
the San Jose Sharks in the first round. The opener would go to overtime, as
the Sharks won 3-2 on a goal by Joe Pavelski. Game 2 would be all Kings, as Drew
Doughty had two goals and two assists, while Jonathan Quick stopped all 34 shots
in a 4-0 win. As the series shifted to the Staples Center, the Kings looked
to seize control as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in Game 3. However, the Sharks
quickly came back with five goals in the second period. The game would go to
overtime tied 5-5 after a scoreless third period. In overtime the Sharks would
strike again, as Devin Setoguchi netted the game winner. After the Sharks won
6-3 in Game 4, the Kings would face elimination in San Jose. With Jonathan Quick
stopping 51 of 52 shots, the Kings survived Game 5 winning 3-1. However, back
home the Kings would suffer another overtime loss as the Sharks won 4-3 on a
goal by Joe Thornton to end the series in six games.2011/12: The Kings had a busy off-season, as they looked to add scoring by dealing Wayne Simmonds,
Brayden Schenn and a 2012 second round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers
for Mike Richards and prospect Rob Bordson. The Kings also added Free Agent Simon
Gagne from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Colin Fraser who was acquired for Ryan
Smyth in a deal with the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings would start the season
in Europe, beating the New York Rangers 3-2 on a goal by Jack Johnson in overtime
at Stockholm, Sweden before suffering a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in Berlin,
Germany. Following a 2-1 shootout loss against the New Jersey Devils in their
return to America, Mike Richards helped led the way as the Kings beat the
Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on another OT goal from Johnson. The Kings would then score
a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues in their home opener, as they won
five of their first seven games. However, over the next six weeks, the Kings would
play lackluster hockey as their new offensive additions were not living up
to expectations. Following a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on December 10th, the
Kings in the midst of a five game losing streak fired Coach Terry Murray as they
held a record of 13-12-4. The Kings would split four games with interim Coach
John Stevens, before hiring Darryl Sutter on December 20th. The hiring of Sutter
gave the Kings an instant spark, as they won four and lost two games after
regulation as they went into the New Year with a record of 19-14-6. However, in
January and February the Kings continued to suffer from a lack of goals, posting
a record of 10-10-6. Hoping one more goal scorer would be the answer, the Kings
sent Jack Johnson and first round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jeff
Carter. Carter had once played with the Flyers along with Richards and Gagne.
As March arrived the Kings finally got on a roll, as won 10 of 15 games and began
to move up the standings, finding themselves in a mad four team scramble for
the Pacific Division Championship. The winner would get the third seed, while
two runners up would settle for the seventh and eighth seed, as the fourth place
team would be the odd man out. Despite their strong finish, the Kings would
lose out on the division title to the Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings would than go
into the final two games of the season against the San Jose Sharks with the seventh
spot on the line. Both games would be tied at the end of regulation, but
the Kings would lose one a shoot out and the other in overtime as they got the
eighth spot with a record of 40-27-15. The three Flyers the Kings added did not
quite live up to expectations as injuries limited Gagne to 34 games and just seven
goals, while Mike Richards had just 18 goals and 26 assists. Meanwhile, Jeff
Carter had six goals in 16 games after being acquired on February 23rd, as Anze
Kopitar was the team's leading scorer with 76 points. Their MVP was Goalie
Jonathan Quick who continued to emerge as a superstar, with a 1.95 GAA.
2012 Playoffs: Getting the eighth seed, meant the Kings would start the playoffs against one of
the very best teams in the NHL. Their first draw would be the Vancouver Canucks,
who for the second straight season finished with the best record in the regular
season. Things would start well for the Kings, as they scored a 4-2 win in Game
1, as Mike Richards had a goal and two assists. They would also get a 4-2 win
in Game 2, as Jonathan Quick frustrated the Canucks by stopping 46 of 48 shots.
Quick again was on the draw in Game 3, as the series shifted to the Staples
Center, stopping 41 shots, as the Kings won the game 1-0 on a goal by Dustin Brown
to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Following a 3-1 loss in Game 4
at home, the Kings closed out the series with a 2-1 overtime on a Jarrett Stoll
goal win to complete the upset. As the eighth seed the Kings would not have an
easy road, as they next face the St. Louis Blues, who were also one of the best
teams in the NHL. Once again the Kings would start the series with a win, as
they won 3-1 with Quick stopping 28 of 29 shots in Game 1. In Game 2, the Kings
would get three big assists from Dustin Brown to win 5-2 as they went to L.A.
again up two games to none. With two goals wins in Game 3 and Game 4 the Kings
would sweep away the Blues, and advance to the Conference Finals for just the
third time in franchise history. In the Western Conference Finals the Kings would
face the Phoenix Coyotes in a battle of downtrodden franchises looking for their
first taste of victory. As they had in the first two rounds, the Kings would
start the series with a road win, as Dustin Brown led the way with a goal and
an assist. The Kings would continue their road dominance in Game 2, as they won
4-0 to again return to Staples up 2-0 in the series. For the third straight
series the Kings would also take a 3-0 series lead, as they limited the Coyotes
to 19 shots in a 2-1 win, as Dwight King scored the game winner with 1:47 left
in regulation. The Coyotes would get a big effort from Mike Smith in Game 4, as
he stopped all 36 shots in a 2-0 win to advert the sweep. However, the Kings
would win their eighth straight game on the road in overtime 4-3 on a goal by Dustin
Penner to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in five games.
2012 Stanley Cup Finals: In the Stanley Cup Finals for just the second time the Kings were matched up against
the New Jersey Devils. The main attraction was a match up of goalies, as the
Kings rising star Jonathan Quick took on the all-time wins and shutout leader
Martin Brodeur. Game 1, would have plenty of nerves for both teams as the Kings
struck first on a goal by Colin Fraser. The Devils would answer back as they
game went into overtime. In overtime the Kings would get the win on a breakaway
goal by Anze Kopitar . Game 2 would be nearly the same, as the Kings and Devils
went into overtime tied 1-1, with Jonathan Quick having a stellar game. Once
again the Kings would win, on a goal by Jeff Carter setting a record for ten straight
road wins in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Finals would take on the same
pattern as the rest of the postseason, as the Kings took a 3-0 lead, winning 4-0
in Game 3 as the Kings broke the game open with two power play goals.
With an air of anticipation for a Stanley Cup party, the Kings would suffer a letdown
in Game 4, as the Devils sent the series back to Newark, with a 3-1 win,
after the game was scoreless through the first two periods. The Devils would also
win Game 5 by a score of 2-1, as the Kings for the first time lost two games
in a series and had pressure on their own backs. However, in Game 6 the Kings
took advantage of a five minute major boarding penalty on Steve Bernier against
Rob Scuderi and broke the game open early with three goals and cruised to a 6-1
win to claim their first ever Stanley Cup Championship. The playoffs marked
the full arrival of Jonathan Quick as he won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP, with
a microscopic 1.41 GAA, and a .946 save percentage. To reward Quick, the Kings
were without pause in signing their star goalie to a ten year contract extension.
Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar led the team in scoring with 20 points apiece,
each scoring eight goals, to lead Kings balanced scoring attack along with
Jeff Carter. 2012/13: After capturing the Stanley Cup, the Kings chance to defend their crown was delayed,
as a lockout wiped out the first half of the season. When the season finally
began on January 19th, the Kings banner raising celebration was spoiled by the
Chicago Blackhawks as they suffered a 5-2 loss at Staples Center. The Kings would
get off to a slow start, winning just three of their first ten games. The
Kings would play most of their early games on the road, and would not earn their
first home win until beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on February 15th.
As February came to an end, the Kings would get their season on track, as they
won seven of eight and climbed above .500. In the second half of the season the
Kings established a new home ice advantage as they won their last nine games of
the regular season at Staples Center, finishing the season with the fifth seed
in the Western Conference, while holding a record of 27-16-5. In his first full
season with the Kings, Jeff Carter led the team with 26 goals, while Anze Kopitar
had a team high 42 points, thanks to 32 assists.
2013 Playoffs: All season it felt like the regular season was a warm up for the playoffs as the
Los Angeles Kings attempted to win a second straight dance with the Stanley Cup.
A year earlier they had won as the eighth seed in the Western Conference with
a sub .500 regular season. The fifth seed would mean another tough road to the
cup, but in the NHL Playoffs not even the top seed is a cake walk. Facing the
St. Louis Blues in the first round, the Kings found themselves in a tight low scoring
contest as the opener went into overtime tied 1-1 after Justin Williams
tied the game with 31.6 seconds left in regulation. The Kings appeared to get a
big advantage with a four minute power play, but Goalie Jonathan Quick who had
40 saves misplayed the puck allowing Alexander Steen to score a shorthanded goal,
which gave the Blues a 2-1 win. Game 2 would bring more frustration to the
Kings, as Barrett Jackman's goal with 51 seconds left gave the Blues a second straight
2-1 win. Desperately needing a win in Game 3 as the series shifted to Los
Angeles, Jonathan Quick was at the top of his game, stopping all 30 shots as
the Kings won 1-0, on a second period goal by Slava Voynov. Trailing 3-2, entering
the third period of Game 4, the Kings got goals by Anze Kopitar and Justin
Williams to win the game 4-3 and even the series at two games apiece. Back in
St. Louis for Game 5, the Kings saw the Blues score another late third period goal
to force overtime. However, this time with Voynov beating Brian Elliott the
Kings were the ones who seized control of the series with a 3-2 win. With the
score tied late in the second period in Game 6, Dustin Penner put the Kings in
front with a goal with just 0.2 seconds left in period. With Jonathan Quick stopping
21 of 22 shots the 2-1 lead would stand as the Kings advanced to the second
round. The second round would be a battle of Northern and Southern California
as the Kings faced the San Jose Sharks. Jonathan Quick was the star of the opener,
stopping all 35 shots as the Kings won 2-0. Trailing 3-2 in Game 2, the Kings
took advantage of the Sharks lack of discipline scoring two power play goals
within 22 seconds during the game's final two minutes for a 4-3. Quick had another
stellar game, as the series shifted to San Jose for Game 3, with 38 saves.
However, the Sharks would win the game 2-1 in overtime with a goal by Logan
Couture. The Kings would suffer another 2-1 loss in Game 4 as the Sharks evened
the series. However, the Kings continued to be Masters of their Domain at the
Staple Center, winning 3-0 in Game 5. However, the Sharks would battle back with
another 2-1 win in San Jose as the series went the full seven games. Back at
Staples Center, the Kings got a pair of goals by Justin Williams and another solid
effort by Jonathan Quick to win 2-1 and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Facing the Chicago Blackhawks, the Kings road woes continued as they lost
the first two games at United Center. However, the Kings continued to play well
at home, winning 3-1 in Game 3. With 17 straight home wins, the Kings looked
to even the series in Game 4. However, Marian Hossa put the Blackhawks up 3-2
early in the third period, as the Blackhawks defense smothered the Kings for a
3-2 win. With their reign nearing an end, the Kings trailed 3-2 late in Game 5,
when Mike Richards tied the game with ten seconds left. The Kings would battle
valiantly into double overtime, but a second straight Stanley Cup was not in the
cards, as the Blackhawks won the game 4-3, as Patrick Kane scored the game winner.
2013/14: After having their title reign in the Western Conference Finals, the Kings began
the season by splitting their first two games on the road. Despite losing to the
New York Rangers 3-1 in their home opener, the Los Angeles Kings had a solid
October, with a 9-5-0 record. Despite missing Jonathan Quick for most of November
due to a lower body injury, the Kings kept their pace as Ben Scrivens played
well in his place. Quick remained out through December, as Rookie Martin
Jones was given a chance to prove himself in goal. Jones made his debut on December
3rd in a 3-2 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks. Four days later he
would earn his first shutout win as the Kings blanked the New York Islanders
3-0 at Staples Center. The play of Jones would eventual lead the Kings to
trade Ben Scrivens to the Edmonton Oilers. As the New Year began, the Kings
were in a slump losing five games in a row in regulation. The streak would
end on January 4th as Jonathan Quick returned in a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite the return of Quick, the Kings slump continued in January as they
posted a 5-8-2 record. One of the losses came on January 25th at Dodger Stadium
as they were blanked by the Ducks in the first outdoor game in California.
The Kings would lose their first two games in February but won three straight as
the NHL season paused for the Winter Olympics. As the season resumed in March,
the Kings looked to add some offense so they acquire Marian Gaborik from the
Columbus Blue Jackets on March 5th, sending Matt Frattin and two draft picks in
return. Gabork played well with five goals and 11 assists in 19 games. The Kings
had their finest month in March, posting a record of 11-4-0, while winning all
six games on the road. The Kings would go on to finish the season with a record
of 46-28-8, grabbing one of the Pacific Division's three automatic playoff
spots.
2014 Playoffs: Facing the San Jose Sharks in the first round the Kings looked like they were heading
for a quick exit as they were dominated in the first two games, losing 6-3
and 7-2 as they were outclassed in every way imaginable. Things did not get much
better for the Kings in Game 3 at Staples Center as they lost in overtime 4-3
on a goal by Patrick Marleau. Only three teams before had rallied to win a seven
game series after losing the first three games, and the way the Kings have
been embarrassed it seemed they were just playing for pride when they picked up
a 6-3 win in Game 4. Pride became hope in Game 5 when the Kings again prevented
the Sharks from closing out the series with a 3-0 win as Jonathan Quick who had
been shaky in the first four games stopped all 30 shots. The Kings continued
their comeback with a 4-1 win in Game 6, as Anze Kopitar broke a 1-1 tie
with two goals an assist in less than three minutes during the third period. The
Kings would complete the comeback with a 5-1 win in Game 7, as they scored five
answered goals after the Sharks took a 1-0 lead early in the second period,
as Jonathan Quick made 39 saves. After their comeback against the Sharks,
the Kings would face another big rival in the Pacific Division Finals. This time
they would battle the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings continued the momentum of their
comeback by winning the first two games of the series in Anaheim. In the opener,
the Kings trailed 2-1 late in the third period, when Marian Gaborik tied
the game with seven second left by knocking home a rebound of a Mike Richards shot.
Gaborik would also get the game winner in overtime. In Game 2 it was
Jonathan Quick playing the hero role, stopping 36 of 37 shots in a 3-1 win. However,
when the series moved to Staples Center, the Ducks turned the tables winning
Games 3 & 4 with John Gibson frustrating the Kings with a 2-0 shutout win
in Game 4. The Ducks would take control of the series with a 4-3 win in Game
5 as the Kings comeback led by Gaborik fell just short. Facing elimination,
the Kings got a big game from Quick as they evened the series at home with
a 2-1 win. In another Game 7 on the road, the Kings would once again break the
game open early with three first period goals on the way to a 6-2 win to reach
the Western Conference Finals for a third straight season. The Conference Finals
would see the Kings draw a rematch with the Chicago Blackhawks. After
dropping the opener 3-1, the Kings evened the series with a 6-2 win in Game 2,
as Jeff Carter scored three goals in a five goal third period outburst.
As the series shifted to LA, Carter had another big game, with a goal and two
assists to lead the Kings to a 4-3 win at Staples Center. The Kings would take
a 3-1 series lead, with a 5-2 win in Game 4. However, with a chance to close out
the series the Kings suffered a 5-4 loss in Double Overtime. The Kings would
also drop Game 6 at home; as Patrick Kane scored twice in the third period to lead
the Blackhawks to a 4-3 win. In Game 7, the Kings were in an early hole as
the Blackhawks scored twice in the first ten minutes, the Kings would respond with
two goals in 51 seconds. However, the Blackhawks answered 12 seconds later
to regain the lead. The Kings would even the score again in the second period,
only to see Chicago take a 4-3 lead in the third period. Turning on the pressure,
L A got a game tying goal by Marian Gaborik with just over seven minutes left
in regulation. The game would go to overtime, with Alec Martinez scoring at 5:47
of overtime to send the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 5-4 win.2014 Stanley Cup Finals: The Kings would face the New York Rangers in the Finals, and early on looked tired
as the Rangers took a 2-0 in Game 1. The Rangers dominated the early part of
Game 1, but the Kings managed to hang in the game and turn things around and tie
things up. The Kings had regained their legs in the third period, but were unable
to get one past Henrik Lundqvist, despite a 20-3 shot advantage. With
the scored tied 2-2 in overtime, the Kings finally got the game winner on Justin
Williams's eighth goal of the playoffs. In Game 2, the Rangers again
got off to a fast start, with two early goals. In the second period each team would
score twice, as the Kings remained two goals behind. Once again, the Kings
would dominate the third period, outshooting the Rangers 12-7 as they got goals
from Dwight King and Marian Gaborik to even the score. After a scoreless overtime
period, the Kings would get a second overtime win in the Finals on a goal
by Dustin Brown at the 10:26 mark. After the series shifted to New York, the Kings
finally drew first blood as Jeff Carter scored with one second left in the
first period to give the Kings a 1-0 lead. The Kings would add goals from Jake
Muzzin and Mike Richards in the second period as Jonathan Quick made 32 saves in
a 3-0 win. Looking for the sweep the Kings fell behind 2-0 again, and tried another
comeback with Dustin Brown scoring in the second period. Over the last 30
minutes of the game the Kings threw everything the head at Henrik Lundqvist,
including a 15-1 shot advantage in the third period. However, the Rangers held
on to win the game 2-1. Back at home in Game 5, the Kings again trailed 2-1 in
the third period. This time they were able to get the equalizer as Marian Gaborik
scored a power play goal with 7:56 left. Gaborik a late season pick up was key
to the Kings Playoff success with a NHL leading 14 playoff goals. The Kings
would control most of the ice in overtime, but Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the
game. Finally with 5:17 left in double overtime Alec Martinez tucked home
a rebound off a Tyler Toffoli shot to bring the Kings their second Stanley Cup
Championship in three years with a 3-2 win. Justin Williams, who had nine
goals and 15 assists, along with points in all three seventh games the Kings
played in would take home the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.
2014/15: Coming off their second Stanley Cup Championship in three years, the Los Angeles
Kings were considered to be the team to beat in the Western Conference. The San
Jose Sharks would spoil the party as the Kings raised the championship banner
winning 4-0 at Staples Center in the season opener. The Kings would drop their
first two games, but quickly got on track with six straight wins. However, before
October came to an end troubles began to plague the Kings off the ice as Slava
Voynov a key defenseman in the Kings Championship runs was suspended indefinitely
following an arrest for domestic violence. Voynov would play just six games
and miss the rest of the season, before pleading guilty and being deported to
Russia. After the suspension of Voynov the Kings managed to play mediocre hockey
over the next two months, as they held an 18-12-8 record entering the New Year.
January would only bring more frustration for the Kings, who had trouble staying
in playoff position, posting a record of 3-4-4. Among the disappointing
players was Mike Richards who had just five goals in 53 games before being demoted
to the AHL at the end of January. With the Kings enduring long scoring droughts,
and playing mediocre hockey all season, it appeared they finally found their
groove in February as they marched on an eight game winning streak. Highlighting
the streak was a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on February 21st in a game
played outdoors in Levi's Stadium before 70,205 fans in Santa Clara. The Kings
would get the game winning goal from Marian Gaborik. Gaborik would among the
top scoring players on the goal with 27 goals. Jeff Carter would lead the Kings
with 28 goals, while Anze Kopitar led the Kings in scoring with 64 points. It
would not be enough as the Kings all season seemed to come up just short, when
the year was over the Kings would fall two points short of reaching the playoffs
with a record of 40-27-15. The Kings became the first reigning Stanley Cup
Champion to miss the playoffs in nine years, as a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames
in the next to last game of the season sealed their fate. Despite the Kings disappointing
finish, Jonathan quick had another solid season posting a record of
36-22-13, with a 2.24 GAA.
2015/16: After missing the playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings looked to rebound and once again
be one of the top Stanley Cup contenders in the Western Conference. The Kings
would make a change in leadership on the ice as Anze Kopitar succeeded Dustin
Brown as team captain. One big addition the Kings made in the off-season
was acquiring Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins. Lucic was key cog in the Kings
offense all season collecting 55 points with 354 assists to rank among the team
leaders. Despite having their first five games at Staples Center, the Kings
stumbled out of the gate losing their first three games by a combined score of
12-2. The Kings would get a 2-1 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild and began
to turn things around as they won their next seven games to finish October with
a record of 7-3-0. After a mediocre November, the Kings had a strong month of
December, starting the season on a six game winning streak and carrying a five
game winning streak into January. Despite standing in first place with a record
of 25-12-2 on January 6th, the Kings were looking for offense as they acquired
Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers for Jordan Weal
and a third round draft pick. Both Lecavalier and Schenn struggled in Los Angeles
totaling just 28 points combined in the season's second half. Holding a 37-24-1
mark at the end of February, the Kings re-acquired Rod Scuderi, sending Christian
Ehrhoff to the Chicago Blackhawks in return. The Kings also would acquire
Kris Versteeg and Brett Sutter, son of Coach Darryl Sutter at the trade deadline.
The Kings came into March like a lion, winning seven of nine, but went out
like lamb, suffering winning just two of their next eight games. The late March
slump would cost them a division title as they finished just one point behind
the Anaheim Ducks, with a record of 48-28-6. It was a special season for Anze
Kopitar, who led the Kings in scoring with 74 points. Kopitar who also scored
25 goals would win the Selke Trophy given to the best defensive forward in the
NHL as well as the Lady Byng Award given to the player who best demonstrates gentlemanly
play. The Kings also had the best defenseman in the NHL as Drew Doughty
took home the Norris Trophy. 2016 Playoffs: The Los Angeles Kings would face a familiar rival in the first round as they took
on the San Jose Sharks. Game 1 at Staples Center would be a back and forth battle,
as the teams traded goals for the first two periods. With the score tied 3-3,
the Sharks jumped in front on an early third period goal from Joe Pavelski.
That would be enough for San Jose as the Sharks won the opener 4-3. The Kings
would be further frustrated by Martin Jones in Game 2, Jones who served as Jonathan
Quick's backup for two season was traded to the Boston Bruins for Milan Lucic
and quickly sent on to the Sharks. Jones would keep the Kings off the board
until, Vincent Lecavalier scored on the power play with five minutes left. However,
it was not enough as the Sharks won 2-1. As the series shifted to San Jose,
the Kings finally broke through win a 2-1 overtime win in Game 3, as Tanner
Pearson scored the game winner at 3:47. The Sharks though would bounce back with
three power play goals to deliver a 3-2 win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead.
Back at Staples Center for Game 5, the Kings found themselves down 3-0 early
in the second period facing elimination. The Kings would come roaring back scoring
three goals in nine minutes to tie the game. The Sharks though would respond
scoring three unanswered goals in the third period to win the game 6-3 and
eliminate the Kings in five games.